The Gift-
by BantEerin
Summary: Herculies, Illoulis and Lillth are getting read to visit Jason on there time off. Why does nothing ever go as planned??


Characters: Hercules, Iolluas, Jason, and introducing a new character and some fun ;).  
  
(Chapter 1) Gift of Revelation  
  
  
  
It had started out quiet enough. The only sound came from Illoalus excited babbling. The were leaving Cooras after there ritual dinner. Now heading towards Jason's palace. They were to stay with him for there vacation. Quite frankly he was just as excited as Illoalus looked.  
  
"and well go hunting, and go to the parties.and oh Herc this is going to be great!" he excitedly mused.  
  
"Yeah it will, I can wait either." He said looking ahead in the direction they were traveling. It was getting dark, and fast.  
  
"Wed better speed it up Illoalus, its getting dark and we don't want to keep Jason waiting.  
  
Illoalus nodded and fell in step with his tall friend. Hercules hoisted his pack better on his back. And quickened his step.  
  
It was getting dark quicker than he thought, and he didn't want to get lost. Especially not in these part of the woods. They were heavily hunted, and packed with traps. Just then he heard a noise coming form the darkness. He stopped dead in his tracks. Illoulis who had been talking his head off didn't notice the taller boy's abrupt stop, and walked right into his back.  
  
"Ouff.Herc! Why'd you stop." Iolaus said recovering from bumping into Hercules.  
  
"Shh..did you hear that?" looking in the direction the noise came from, he had one hand holding Illoulis in place.  
  
"I didn't hear anything..man are you hearing things again, cause if you are..." his sentence was cut off by a sharp noise.  
  
I sounded like the whinny of a horse. But more musical. It had a sharp tone to it. Like a cry for help.  
  
"Come on.lets see what it is."  
  
They both walked through the heavily wooded area, Iolaus glued to Hercules side. They came to a small clearing. They froze at the sight before them. It was a horse, caught in a heavy net. But it was no ordinary horse. Cause through the net, from its broad shoulders spread wings! The creature was brownish, with black points. Obviously a young mare it looked like a normal bay horse. Yet it had a glow to it, and unearthly glow. Its was struggling. But it stopped and with a almost human sigh it lay its head on the ground. Its eyes seemed to be pleading from exhaustion and pain. Hercules quickly reached into his pack. Revealing a pocketknife he always carried with him.  
  
"Herk.Herk..its it's a peg..a peg..!" Iolaus stuttered in astonishment.  
  
"Yeah, a Pegasus.I know" he said slowly making his way to the trapped creature. He leaned in close above the animal. It began to struggle again.  
  
"Hey..hey its going to be ok." at the sound of his quiet, calm voice the animal seemed to stop its falling. It lay absolutely still as he started to cut away at the ropes. He reached for the last large rope and cut it away. It fell into two pieces on the ground. Then realizing it was free, the creature struggled and then stood.  
  
Hercules thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The large animal spreading and stretching it not quite fully developed wings and shaking its head in relief. Hercules smiled, then looked back at Illoulis whose mouth was still agape with surprise.  
  
He turned back to the Pegasus. "Ok, you're free to go.go on now."  
  
The animal perked its ears up in curiosity.  
  
"Come on Iolaus, let's go were late.."  
  
Iolaus followed him, out on to the path. They began to hurry down the path. About ten minutes along they heard a sound. They stopped and both looked at each other, then in sync they turned to see what was following them. It was the Pegasus. The creature was following them.  
  
"Ahh great now what are we gonna to do." Iolaus said exasperated, throwing his arms in the air.  
  
Hercules sighed, and the animal threw its graceful head in the air snorting.  
  
"You know Herk, you can sure pick em."  
  
  
  
"Where in Tartarus are they?" Jason was worried, he had stopped sitting in his throne a long time ago. Lillith sat on the arm of the throne, watching him pace.  
  
"Don't worry Jason, they just probably got held up. I mean, Illoulis probably got them both into trouble and Feducious probably had them doing stable duty or something.  
  
"Your Highness." a soldier ran into the room, urgency evident on his face. Jason stopped pacing and Lillith jumped up.  
  
"What, what's the matter?" his heart began to race with the fear, something's happened to Hercules and Illoulis.man I know it.  
  
"Hercules and Illoulis are here." He said standing at attention.  
  
"Oh.ok.well then show them in.," Jason said, calming down.  
  
"Um.your highness..I think there's something you should see."  
  
Jason didn't know what to say, he looked at Lillith and she gave him the same look. Some thing was up.  
  
They were led to the stables and they entered as the guard stood at attention near the entrance. He followed quickly being pulled along by Lillith who had his hand in a tight grip. Passing his horses, he noticed something was wrong. They usually turned stuck their heads out to greet him. Yet they didn't, their heads were turned towards the end of the stables where the loose boxes were located. They turned into the loose boxes they were located towards the back of the royal stables. They were usually empty but he could hear some sounds as if there were people and maybe a horse there.  
  
Perhaps Herc and I Iolaus found a horse..  
  
They came upon the stables.a lamp was lit and there was a shadow of a horse.  
  
Jason and Lillith entered.but stopped short at what they saw.  
  
Jason couldn't believe his eyes. Before him stood an animal of mythology.  
  
He looked to Lillith to make sure she had seen it also and that he wasn't just seeing things.  
  
She had, her jaw was nearly on the floor.  
  
"Hercules, Iolaus what is this." he began.  
  
They turned, Iolaus automatically ready to bust out in excited explanation. But the creature was not so passive.  
  
It began to throw its head at the sight of the two newcomers. It stopped its feet in anger, backed up shying and reared. Whinnying its call of fear, and rearing.  
  
"woah..woah..hey girl.calm down.its ok.." Hercules waved his arms in order to get the startled creature's attention. Iolaus stepped out of the angry creature's way, moving out of the stall in order to give it some room.  
  
"Hey..hey calm down..its ok..im here.." amazed the others watched as at his mer touch Hercules was able to calm the animal down. Slowly it stopped its triaid..breathing a heavy sigh as Herculess wrapped his arms around her poll, gently petting her head. The graceful equis closed its eyes as he ran his fingers through her dark forelock mummering quiet reashurances.  
  
He looked his friend's, obviously charmed by the creature. Shrugging his shoulders, "Maybe we can keep her for a little while longer." his sheepish grin making his friends smile.  
  
Lillith smiled, leave it to Hercules to make a weird friend.  
  
The 3 younger friends looked at Jason. He looked back unaware, then uncrossed his arms.."oh..yeah, yeah...she can stay"  
  
"Yes.. "Illoulis said happily.  
  
"Here that?.you can stay." Hercules whispered to the animal still with his arms wrapped around its neck, he didn't expect an answer.  
  
"We should sleep out here tonight..to keep her comfortable." Lillith offered.  
  
They all agreed.  
  
About an hour into moving about making comfortable spaces for sleep, Hercules asked Illoulis to pass him a blanket.  
  
"this one?.."  
  
"Yeah..one of those. So she won't catch a chill." Hercules said, not turning away; spreading out a bale of hay on the other side of the stall.  
  
Illoulis took and unfolded the blanket.he stepped towards the dozing animal, and stopped. "um.Herc.."  
  
Hercules momentarily looked up from his work to see Illoulis scared to go near the Pegasus.  
  
He smiled, sometimes Illoulis could be such a child.  
  
"Go on..she wont bite..hard" He made sure he said that last part under his breath.  
  
"uh-huh.."Illoulis stepped forward, placing the blanked meekly on the creature's back. It didn't move, its eyes closed still.  
  
"see Illoulis, nothing happened." Lillith called from her perch on the stall walls.  
  
"yeah.she is sweet.aren't you hun...." taking that moment to place his hand as gently as he could on the animals elegant neck.  
  
She opened her eyes right away, rearing up suddenly in fear. Illoulis jumped back. A bright light surrounded the animal, and filled the stables..it blinded them. The form of the Pegasus rearing and spreading its wings began to glimmer and shrink. Its form transforming, hoofs turning into hands.its long limbs shrinking. Then the light settled..clearing in an instant.  
  
Hercules couldn't believe his eyes. At Illoulis touch it had become a person. And it wasn't just any person, but a young woman. A beautiful one at that. She clutched the blanket he had placed on her. Her eyes met his, and he became entranced in them. Their deep brown colors reflecting like a jewel from the now dim light. Reflecting a sorrow.or at least that's what he thought it could be, and then coming out of his trance he realized she was shivering. Illoulis apparently also in a trance by her beauty, noticed it also and grabbed the nearest blanket. He motioned to wrap it around her slim but muscular shoulders. At the notice of him moving to her, she shied and stepped closer to Hercules, bumping into him.  
  
"Hey, hey it's ok." he said in a soft voice as not to startle her more. She might not know that she was this close to him, but he surely did. She kept her eyes on Illoulis, as if to watch for him to move any closer.  
  
"Ops." was all he said as he shrugged and gave Hercules a questioning look as if to say "now what".  
  
Hercules shrugged in return and looked in Jason's direction.  
  
"Hey don't look at me, I have no idea" Jason said after registering both of his friends looks. "You Found her, so you figure it out" he finished, sitting on a bail of hay.  
  
Lillith's mouth was wide open with surprise. She began shaking her head, then looked at Hercules. "So now what Hercules.what are we going to do.." not moving from her perch on the stall door.  
  
He looked down at the young girl. She was leaning close to him glancing at each of the others in the stall. Her shivering had become more violent. From cold, or fear he didn't know, but he guessed it was from both. He grabbed his blanket from behind him. And gently started to wrap it around her. She turned her head, and looked down at his hands while he wrapped it around her. Then she looked up at him.  
  
Hercules looked back at his comrades, then back at the girl while he talked. "First we need to stop your shivering" he began. Talking more to her than outloud.  
  
"Now she needs a name.I wonder if she already has one?" Lillith began looking up in thought.  
  
"Well think about that tomorrow.now she looks as if she could use some rest" he said, his glance never leaving hers. Her shivering calmed down as he wrapped the blanket around her. At least she's stopped shivering. He thought to himself.  
  
"I think we all should get some rest.Iv told everyone to stay out of the stable for the night cause we were going to have a "camp out"...there should be no interuptions." Jason said matter of faculty as he began to setup his place to sleep.  
  
"It good to be the king" Illoulis commented from his side of the large stall. Jason responded by throwing a pillow in his direction.  
  
They all settled in for the night, as sleep took over.  
  
Hercules lie down for what seemed like hours. And just stared at the sleeping form beside him. He couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from her. Even though she had settled down and was not sleeping quietly, he felt if he closed his eyes that she would disappear. He smiled at this thought.  
  
"Where did you come from..who are you." he whispered to him self. Reaching over and removing a lock of hair from her face, tracing a finger down her cheek. Letting it linger there for a second.  
  
Her skin was smooth under his touch, a dark complexion of mahogany. Her lips were half parted, her breathing relatively normal. He let his hand fall from her cheek...lying it in front of his face. The question remaining active in his mind...//who are you.//  
  
Sometimes he asked the same question about himself.  
  
The question took over his mind for the rest of the night...until finally it let hold its grip. Still hanging heavily in the back of his mind as he drifted off to sleep... 


End file.
